Indiana boasts its share of
famous hauntings. Near the top of the list is the “Grey Lady,” of whom it is
said, makes her presence known at the Willard Library in Evansville,
Indiana, in the southwestern part of the state.

The Willard
Library has been made popular by the Discovery Channel, the Sci-Fi Channel,
and numerous paranormal organizations, all attempting to prove or disprove
the Grey Lady’s existence.

The facility, said to be the
oldest public library building in Indiana, was constructed in the Victorian
Gothic style, and opened in 1885. It was named in honor of Evansville
philanthropist Willard Carpenter.

According to an article
written by Jackie Sheckler (Herald-Times, 10-31-1999, Bloomington, IN), the
first appearance of the Grey Lady occurred at 3 a.m. on a frigid morning in
1937. The night janitor had just stepped down into the basement to shovel
more coal into the furnace when he came face-to-face with a dark figure.
Raising his flashlight toward the mysterious form revealed a veiled woman,
dressed in “glowing grey” from head to toe.

According to
librarian assistant Sandy Feltz, the janitor promptly ended his employment
at the library, after his encounter.

From that point on to
the present, the Grey Lady has been witnessed by many employees and patrons
of the Willard Library.

Growing interest in the Grey Lady in
more recent years prompted the library to begin hosting Halloween tours* of
the facility in 1996.

Of the Grey Lady, Feltz commented, “No
one is afraid of her, but many people have had strange things happen to them
here."

Among the strange occurrences reported:

In the restrooms, visitors have witnessed lavatory faucets turning on by
themselves.
Visitors and employees have reported hearing footsteps when no one is
present.
A heavy perfume smell sometimes wafts through the air, the fragrance coming
from no identifiable source.

With the floor buttons lighting
up and doors opening, an empty elevator operates on its own, moving from
floor to floor.

Motion sensors have a habit of setting off
the alarm system when the library is closed.
In addition, books have flown off of shelves without aid, chairs have been
seen moving of their own accord, and file containers have been knocked to
the floor by an invisible force.

Feltz further offered that,
in the 1960s, a group of young children were participating in a library and
making a lot of commotion in the process. They were noisily running and
skipping on the stairs in the hallway. One of the youngsters suddenly came
running up to his mother, fearfully describing a woman who confronted their
boisterous behavior.

"The little boy said, ‘She was a ghost
lady shaking her finger at me!’" Feltz recalls. "The party ended rather
abruptly."

But who is the Grey Lady? There are several
theories, but the most popular one is that she is the ghost of Louise
Carpenter, a daughter of the library's founder, Willard Carpenter.

According to Feltz, Louise became so angry after her father gave money to
build the library, that she took legal action against the library's Board of
Trustees in a failed bid to stop construction. Some believe that Louise was
so embittered by the experience that, after death, she came to haunt the
building that she fought so desperately against.

More recently, the
Grey Lady has been featured on the Sci-Fi Channel’s “Proof Positive”
program, a show that examines the merits of various paranormal claims or
encounters. The Grey Lady case was not deemed “proof positive” by the
program’s chosen “experts” due to a lack of solid evidence, but it should be
noted that neither was it proven to be a hoax.

Now, anyone
with access to the Web can look in on the Willard Library by way of web-cam.
If you decide to peek in, and you are really lucky, you just might catch a
glimpse of the old grey gal, as she tidies up her books.

* First offered as a Halloween tour, the Grey Lady tours are now offered
year-round and free of charge. If you are thinking about going, be sure to
call ahead and make arrangements.
The Willard Library is located on the corner of First Avenue and Lloyd
Expressway in Evansville.

The Willard Library was inducted
into the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
The Grey Lady Tours are offered year-round but have listed times around
Halloween. Reservations must be made in advance for the free tours.